


Quartering Act

by Jazzmcjazz



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Fluff, Historical AU, M/M, Rooster Teeth - Freeform, Slight Smut, achievement hunter - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-04
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 11:43:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1119426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jazzmcjazz/pseuds/Jazzmcjazz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gavin Free, a British soldier is sent with his battalion over to the new colonies and is quartered with the Jones Family. Not everyone is pleased with the idea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Night

It was cold and snowy December in Boston. Ice began to crack in between the cobblestone streets and smoke could be seen rising out of the chimney of each small house. Children could be seen running about the streets, boys kicking snow at girls and laughing, chasing each other about. A carriage was pulled by horse slowly down a small alleyway, and stopped just in front of a tightly packed house. The driver of the carriage stepped away from his horses and opened the carriage door, two tall men stepping out. One of them had short, black hair and a scruffy beard. He wore a red jacket, decorated with tassels and badges of his former achievements, and a pair of stark white pants tucked into his boots. The other had rather shaggy brown hair, and wore the same jacket and pants, but less decorated and a bit scratched up. He had a brown bag slung over his shoulder with the word "FREE" branded onto it. The man with black hair knocked on the front door of the house and stepped away as it opened.

"Good evening Ms. Jones."

"Good evening." A short, red haired woman stood in the doorway. She wore a plain blue dress and tied her hair up into a very sloppy bun. "Can I help you with something?"

"As declared by the King, a quartering act is in place for the city of Boston. You are responsible for the comfort and care of a soldier if necessary. You are aware of this, correct?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"For an unspecified time, you will house Sergeant Free. Failure to do so will-"

"I get it." The woman toughened in the way she looked, her eyes filled with a sense of anger. She looked past the black haired man to the brown haired one. "I'm assuming you're Sergeant Free?"

"Yes madam." The man with brown hair nodded and shifted uncomfortably where he stood. He knew he was going to be sent to the new colony, but he expected people to be a bit more...accepting. Ms. Jones looked to the man with black hair.

"Anything else, sir?"

"That is all, madam." The man with black hair tipped his hat and bowed slightly, before looking to Sergeant Free and stepping into the carriage.

"Sergeant Free?" Ms. Jones said, looking at him quizzically. "Are you going to step inside or should I leave you to freeze out here?" The man looked down and stepped into the house.

"Thank you madam...please, call me Gavin. The whole Sergeant thing bothers me." Gavin took his jacket off and rested it on a hook besides the door.

"Alright. Make yourself at home, dinner should be done within the hour." Ms. Jones shut the front door and walked into the kitchen without a word. Gavin took off his boots and cap, setting them aside before he walked to a chair in the living room and sat down. The house was rather small, but then again almost every house in the south end was small and knit together tightly. A set of chairs were placed near the fireplace, the logs roaring away and cracking. A few small jackets were draped over a hook just in front of the fire to dry. Gavin leaned forward in his chair and soaked in the warmth and light, taking away the red tint from his cheeks. He looked up and met eyes with a little girl standing on the stairs near the door. She clung to the railing curiously. A second girl peeked out from behind the first's nightgown, looking rather afraid.

"Hello there." Gavin said quietly, trying to make himself sound as welcoming as possible. The older girl went to speak before a hand rested on her shoulder.

"Go see if Mom needs help making dinner or setting the table." The girls nodded and raced down the wooden staircase, laughing and shoving each other aside past Gavin and into the kitchen. From the shadows on the stairs appeared a boy. He looked much older than his sisters, about 16. His hair was red and curly like his mothers and he wore a brown shirt and white pants, both rather baggy on his frame. Freckles sprayed across his cheeks and on his neck.

"Hello." Gavin nodded to the boy.

"How long are you staying here for?" The boy asked curtly.

"The time was unspecified to me." A clash of pans echoed from the kitchen, followed by a laugh from one of the girls, and a sigh, breaking the standoff between Gavin and the boy.

"Michael darling?" Ms. Free poked her head out from the doorway. "Please show Gavin where your room is and help set up a bed, ok?"

"He's staying in my room?!"

"Yes, he is. And don't you even think about fighting me on this one." She receded back into the kitchen, leaving the two alone. Gavin picked up his bag and looked towards the stairs. Michael sighed and ascended, the floorboards creaking as he went. Gavin followed Michael into a small, dimly lit room, a few candles sitting by the window sill. A bed sat against the wall, a chest sat at the foot board. Michael opened the chest and took out a few quilts and laid them out on the ground. He took a pillow off of his bed and threw it onto the quilts, before sitting at his desk without a word. He began to write on a scrap of parchment. Gavin placed his bag down and sat down on the edge of Michael's bed, looking at the red head. io

"So..." Gavin trailed off, looking at the floor. Michael looked at his desk and continued to write.

"Don't touch anything in this house that isn't yours."

"I wasn't-"

"Don't eat any food that isn't offered to you."

"What are you-"

"I don't give a damn that you're a soldier. This is my home." Michael turned to Gavin angrily. Gavin stood up and crossed the small room before grabbing the collar of Michael's shirt.

"Bite your bloody tongue..." He let go and there was a thick pause.

"Michael, Gavin!" Ms. Jones called from downstairs. Michael stood up and brushed his shirt off before walking down the flight of stairs. Gavin sighed and followed. The dining room table was set plainly, four plates laid out in a square. Ms. Jones set down a plate of cut ham along with some slightly fresh bread and a pitcher of milk. Without a word, she walked into her room near the kitchen and shut the door. Michael and his two sisters sat down at the table, leaving an empty chair across from Michael's.

"Isn't your mum going to eat with us?" Gavin asked quizzically, looking at the bedroom door.

"She'll come grab something later." Michael started to make up plates for his sisters, leaving a small portion of food to split between himself and the soldier. Gavin sat down at the chair awkwardly and looked at the table. The younger girl looked up and tapped his shoulder.

"My name is Julia."

"Well hello Julia." Gavin smiled and gave a short chuckle. He looked over to the older girl and smiled. "What's your name?"

"I'm Vanessa." She said proudly. Michael looked up from his plate and met eyes with Gavin, before looking back down and continuing his meal. Gavin poured a small glass of milk and reclined in his chair. Vanessa and Julia began to bicker about who had longer hair and once they finished eating, they race each other back upstairs. Gavin turned his attention towards Michael and watched him curiously, like a child watching a night sky for the first time. Michael looked up and sneered.

"What?"

"Did I do something wrong?" Gavin asked, feeling beaten a bit.

"What are you talking about?"

"You and your mum don't seem to like me very much. Did I say something?"

"Just shut up." Michael picked up his plate and rinsed it in the kitchen sink. He walked past the table and dragged himself upstairs. Gavin sighed and moved to sit by the fire again. He thought the colonists would appreciate the new soldiers. I mean, they were here to protect them...right?


	2. Tea Party

Gavin woke up to the sound of screaming and splashing, coming from the harbor down the street. He groaned and got up off of the quilts on the wooden floor and trudged to the window on the farside of the room. Rubbing his eyes, he looked out onto the buildings and froze. In a split second, Gavin was skirting down the stairs, pulling on a new pair of socks. He tugged on his jacket and grabbed his cap before racing out the door and down the street. 

"What?..." Michael groaned and rubbed his eyes, waking up at the sound of the door slamming downstairs. He grabbed a clean shirt and a pair of black trousers, pulling them on lazily. Whoops and shouts echoed up into the small bedroom but Michael ignored them, shuffling down the hall and towards the stairs. 

"Micool?..." a door popped open and Julia popped her head out of her room, rubbing her eyes gently. "Where's Gavin?"

"Dunno, I think he went outside." Michael ran his fingers through his hair. 

"Can we go visit Millicent today?"

"Only if you get dressed in something warm." Michael smiled. Julia giggled and nodded. "But stay quiet, Vanessa is still sleeping." Julia nodded again and shut her door. Within a minute or so she came out again, a winter dress and trousers on. Michael spun her around in front of him and adjusted the back of her dress, the buttons snapped in an awkward fashion. He picked up his sister and carried her down the stairs before setting her down on the floor by the door. Michael swung his jacket on and grabbed Julia's off of a high hook. She took the jacket from him and threw it over her shoulders, buttoning it to the best of her abilities. Michael laughed and fixed the buttons again, before adjusting his very worn jacket and opened the door. 

Aside from the shouting, the streets were rather calm. He couldn't tell if it were because of the newly laid snow, or the fact that Julia was humming an old maiden's song. Soon the two reached a small building with the sign "Ramsey Gun Smiths". Michael opened the door and Julia ran inside, giggling. The front of the building was a shop, assorted muskets and knives handing from the walls. By the front counter, a woman clad in brown trousers and a bloused button up shirt sat, working out an engraving on a dagger. She looked up and met eyes with Michael first, before looking down to Julia. 

"Good morning sweetheart!" the woman said, grinning. "Millie is upstairs if you want to see her!" Julia smiled and raced up the stairwell behind the counter.

"Good morning Griffon." Michael said, smiling. He brushed some snow out of his curly hair and came around the counter to give the woman a hug. 

"How're you holding up, Michael?" Griffon said in a motherly tone. 

"I can't really complain I guess."

"Well, Geoff is in the back working on a few things if you want to go talk to him." Michael nodded and headed for the back room, not feeling a few coins slip into the pocket of his jacket by Griffon's hand. The young boy stopped in the doorway and watched as Geoff pulled a long barrel out of the fire it was sitting in, the metal glowing white. Geoff dunked the barrel into a barrel of water nearby, steam flashing up. 

"Heard a carriage by your house last night. What's going on?" Geoff asked, taking off a pair of leather gloves. 

"We got a soldier quartered with us now." Michael said, crossing his arms. Geoff felt his stomach sink a bit. He knew the family well and had taken care of Michael for a while and one thing he was sure of, was the fact that they didn't have the space nor resources to keep a soldier under their roof. 

"What's his name?"

"Gavin Free." Geoff racked his brain to put a name to a face. 

"He's stationed under Corporal Gruchy. I've made guns for him before. The man keeps to himself." Geoff confirmed. He looked out the window towards the street and paused. "What's with all the noise this morning?"

"I was hoping you knew." Michael said, one eyebrow raising. Geoff pulled his smithing apron off and tugged on a jacket. 

"Well, let's go see." The two headed for the front door, waving to Griffon absent mindedly. "We'll be back in a little while darling, just keep Julia and Millie inside." 

The streets were no longer calm. The air between Geoff and Michael was tense, and they walked with hurried stepps. The two gasped when they saw the state of the Harbor. Men were standing on a cargo ship owned by the East India Tea Company, shouting and hollering. Crates of tea leaves and bags were thrown overboard and into the icy ocean. A board was thrown between the dock and the ship and soon men in red coats were storming the ship. Several of the riot men tried to jump overboard into the ocean and most succeeded but some were caught by the collars of their shirts and thrown onto the docks. Geoff pulled Michael into an alley between a pub and a set of shops to keep them out of the soldier's line of sight. Michael peeped around the corner of the building and saw Gavin standing on the edge of the ship, holding up a young man by the scruff of his neck. One thing was for sure; Gavin did NOT look like a happy man.

"Is that Gavin?" Geoff asked, pointing towards the angry brit. Michael nodded and squinted, trying to look further if at all possible. Gavin threw the scared man in his grasp into the water, scowling as he hit a crate of tea. Once the boat was cleared, a few soldiers stood guard and a man with dark hair ushered Gavin into a nearby outpost. Geoff turned to Michael and tried to contain a smile. 

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Michael asked.

"I almost helped out in planning that about a month ago, but I opted out. I guess that was a good idea." Geoff chuckled. "Since the tea taxes went up, a group of snappy old men want to change the tax or whatever." Michael looked over Geoffs shoulder as several men were being dragged by soldiers into carriages, set for the local jail. 

"Why didn't you help them out then?" Michael asked. Geoff laughed and started walking back towards his house.

"I knew it would never work out. Now come on, I'll make you some tea back at the shop."

 

**Author's Note:**

> My first story on AO3 :)


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